


Don't Fall In Love (Especially Not With Mortals But Immortals Are A Bad Idea Too)

by chancellorxofxtrash (PhoebeMurdivine)



Series: Daemons & Naritaverse [15]
Category: Baccano!, ヴぁんぷ! - 成田良悟 | Vamp! Series - Narita Ryohgo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Alternate Universe - His Dark Materials Fusion, Daemon Touching, Death as a result of mortality, Immortals loving mortals, Multi, Polyamory, don't even mind me, immortals being assholes and being in denial about being in love, immortals loving immortals, naritaverse, this fic has it all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 20:44:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9675674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoebeMurdivine/pseuds/chancellorxofxtrash
Summary: If Doubs Hewley had ever been in love (which he hadn't), that most likely would have been a horrible idea





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Immicolia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Immicolia/gifts).



> Quick summary of Daemon AU's and this one in particular:
> 
> \- Every human being has a daemon, from their birth. They are a part of their soul, in a form of an animal, basically a representation of their souls. They are not always follow stereotypes associated with their animals however, there are many different interpretations.  
> \- When they are kids, their daemons often change forms, they are not settled. It's during their teenage years they finally "settle" into their final form, but it changes for everyone.  
> \- Most of the time the daemon's gender is different than the human's.  
> \- Touching someone's daemon is taboo. Especially without consent. It can happen when people are especially close to each other, like lovers, but never publicly. Touching someone's daemon without consent or warning is at the very least uncomfortable, but it can be outright painful.  
> \- Hurting the daemon hurts the human, and vice versa.  
> \- If the daemon dies, the human dies too.  
> \- The daemons of other supernatural beings are explained in later stories.  
> \- Daemons' talk is written in italics  
> \- Vampires' daemons are just as varied as the vampires themselves.  
> \- Homunculi depend a lot on how they were created

Doubs would usually say that his life before he got turned is irrelevant. Or maybe cook up some fantastic story about it, when he felt like it. Truth is, after a long time, it did start to become irrelevant, and even blurry. Once most of your life you had been an immortal, it becomes less interesting what came before. After all, most of the things had been gone from that time, therefore not worth thinking much about.

Well, most things were gone.

Not Jareth, though.

Jareth settled as a peacock, and he was very happy to open his tail feathers at dramatic moments. There had been other daemons asking him before, that why did he settle in such an obviously masculine form - there are thousands of other animals, birds even with less sexual dimorphism, surely another form would have been less obvious? After all, it was rare for the daemons to have the same sex as their human (eventual vampire, in this case) counterparts.

At these times Jareth usually just glared at them, opened his feathers, and strutted on without answering, even though he also liked to hear his own voice, just like Doubs.

In the circus, Jareth was popular with his beautiful feathers, shining just as much as Doubs himself did, being an integral part of his performances.

And in the circus, there was Claire.

Claire, with his ridiculous confidence that allowed him to climb up to the bear that was so hard to tame, his even more ridiculously messy red hair, freckles, and an unlikely agility.

Jareth immediately got attached to Shannon, Claire’s daemon, the ferret with white fur and red eyes, just as agile and quick as Claire himself. Doubs had often seen Shannon giggle and hide behind Jareth’s tail feathers, the two daemons being up to some ridiculous mischief together.

“Jareth, I can see Shannon’s fur behind your tail feathers.”

_ “You are seeing things again, Doubs.” _

He definitely wasn’t, as Shannon was heard snickering, but Claire just appeared next to Doubs, and keeping hold of his arm.

“Let them have their fun~ come onnn.”

Claire had an infectous attitude, and a charisma worthy of a magician, he was perfect for a circus performer, even if he didn’t have a job that required charming the crowd through words - but you can’t be a performer in the circus when you are unable to charm the crowd. Which Claire definitely wasn’t.

And he charmed Doubs as well, intentionally or not.

But holding Claire in his arms, feeling his smile on his skin, Doubs let himself be charmed.

“Marry me.”

The circus was falling apart, they all knew it, they were all trying to figure out what to do next, and Claire’s dark eyes were focused on Doubs, with complete seriousness.

“I think that’s illegal, my dear.”

“Well, it’s not my fault that’s the world aren’t exactly ready for us yet. But it doesn’t mean we should hold ourselves back!”

“Here I thought this world was yours.”

Soft mocking never had any effect on Claire, as he nodded seriously.

“It is. But as much as it’s mine, you can’t hurry into making big changes. It’s like how I learnt all the tricks up there. I couldn’t jump straight into the most complicated ones that would have taken a toll on my muscles! You have to go step-by-step. So slowly, the world will accept us, because of course it will! Why wouldn’t it?”

Doubs could think of a lot of reasons why would this be an awful idea.

Mostly because since he had known Claire, he had changed.

Doubs didn’t.

So Doubs just reached out, taking Claire’s face between his hands, and planting a soft kiss to his lips.

“Is that a yes?”

Doubs smiled.

“No, it’s not.”

-

_ “You are a certified idiot, you know that, right?” _

Jareth was missing Shannon. And he gave voice to this. Very loudly. With increasing frequency.

“Think about it, and you’ll realise: I had made the right decision letting him go. It would have been harmful… cruel, even! To make him chained down to me. Chain him down to me, unchanging, and static, while look at him: his constant dynamic movements, changing the world, his world all around him! Having someone like me next to him, something he cannot change, would have been cruel.”

_ “...wow. Literally wow. This was so full of bullshit that I don’t even know where to start it. First of all, I wouldn’t say he is that dynamic… he is kind of stable, all things considered, I’d even say he is reliable, once he gets attached. He liked you the way you are, and you know he would have accepted you not being human either. He wouldn’t have given a damn over you being immortal either. Why don’t you just admit that you are af--” _

He couldn’t finish his annoyed rant, because Doubs reached out, pressing Jareth’s beak together with a smile.

“Sssshhh. You talk too much, Jareth.”

Jareth bit him for that.

-

They met a few years later.

Okay. Truth to be told, Doubs was tracked down.

“Heya, Doubs. Long time no see.”

He turned around to see the oh-so-familiar shock of red hair, and confident smile.

“Claire! What a pleasant surprise!”

“Ah, ya see - it’s Felix now. Felix Walken. But yes, other than that, it’s still all me!”

And he surely was - older now, but the same light in his eyes, and Doubs was busy pretending that his stomach did not drop upon seeing him.

“Felix it is, then! What brings you here?”

Shannon was already coming out from under Felix’s coat, jumping over to Doubs’ shoulder. Doubs absentmindedly scratched her chin (force of habit, but Felix didn’t seem bothered by it), and just ran down on his back to go and snuggle Jareth up. Because of course she did.

“Oh I’m here to invite you to my wedding!”

The world definitely did not start lowkey spinning for Doubs for this news - he even smiled! There was absolutely nothing wrong here.

“Does this mean you had finally met with a fair maiden who said yes? Or maybe a dashing guy?”

“The former” Felix seemed oblivious - but then again there was nothing for him to actually notice, was there? “Her name is Chané, and she is amazing!”

“I bet she had to be really unique to accept your quick proposals.”

“I really want you to meet her. Then maybe, the three of us could be together, if you are interested, and Chané would agree too! I would not leave Chané, but I’d be really happy if that could happen!”

“Felix, Felix” Doubs shook his head. “I already said no.”

“You did” Felix nodded. “But who knows? You might change your mind.”

-

He didn’t.

-

But he did go to the wedding, and Chané Laforet was indeed beautiful, with her raven following behind her, and Shannon looked positively obsessed with him.

_ “You have a thing for birds, Shannon?” _

Jareth’s voice was bitter, and Shannon tilted her head.

_ “I have a thing for him. And you. It’s not my fault Doubs is an idiot, and Felix is horrible at reading the atmosphere, despite what he claims.” _

-

Doubs stuck around longer than he planned. It was only a few years, barely a few moments in his long time, really, but it was way too easy to let himself be swept up in Felix’s charm, and after getting closer to Chané, it was easy to get used to the way her hand felt in his.

How it felt waking up between them.

Then one day, he stood up, and left.

It was Chané who caught up to him, her raven following, also silent just as her, and her golden eyes sharp.

And a few gray strands in her dark hair.

“You two don’t need me.”

Doubs didn’t have telepathy (he had the feeling Chané wouldn’t have appreciated anyone getting into her head either way), and he didn’t have the skill that Felix had either, who could read Chané as easily as if she were speaking.

But that glare was not hard to understand.

For once, Jareth was silent as well, and then Chané let go of his arm, and just made a vague motion with her hand.

He could understand it, despite everything.

_ If you leave, then don’t come back. _

And Doubs could understand it - the last things Chané needed were empty promises, and people she couldn’t trust.

So Doubs did what she asked.

-

He avoided New York after that. It was easier, he told himself, and besides what were the odds that he’d run into Felix?

_ “You are so full of bullshit. I almost believed you not caring about leaving Felix and Chané behind, but then you go and get drunk. What the fuck, man.” _

“My current state has nothing to do with that. There just happened to be a wine tasting event nearby so I used my charms to get some samples.”

_ “Bullshit.” _

**(Honestly, I heard all this about the Iridescent Extra, and all I find is someone who gets drunk over love issues? Not going to lie, it’s kind of disappointing.)**

He had met with enough telepathic vampires in his life to realise what was going on, so he looked around - and by the wall, there was a well-dressed, sharp looking man, with a smirk on his face.

-

If Felix was reliable and stable, Mirald was the complete opposite of that.

Mirald was like a whirlwind of emotions beneath all that uncaring surface, and once you spent enough time around him, it became apparent.

_ “Honestly, here I thought I’d never meet an asshole who is more repressed emotionally than you are, but Mirald takes the cake.” _

“Why, thank you, Jareth. Would you please get off my head?”

_ “No.” _

Mirald looked fairly comical with a peacock on his head, and Doubs just smirked, as he continued petting Mirald’s cat.

Ah yes.

On the topic of Mirald’s cat…

-

_ “She is still a daemon, you know.” _

It was one of those times Mirald wasn’t around, because he’d often go off, or Doubs would go off, and it was all okay, and nobody was actually emotionally attached at all.

Sure, Mirald was safer in the sense that he wasn’t mortal, but Doubs had been subjected to enough projections from Mirald to realise just how hopeless falling in love with him would have been.

“Oh? Are you sure?”

Jareth nodded.

_ “She can’t talk, and… they are not connected anymore, probably. But… I think she is still… whoever she used to be. There’s a reason she still follows Mirald around, like, have you seen how much she can roll her eyes? She is still… a daemon.” _

-

Mirald of course went onwards, because that’s the kind he was, and settled next to that detective who dragged him into the Organization, in the first place. Or went back to him. Doubs wasn’t entirely sure what their relationship had been, but Mirald always circled back to Dorrikey, for some reason, like there had been some attachment.

Like a cat who wanders around but always goes home.

And Dorrikey was bitching and complaining and threatening to leave him behind, but nobody believed it.

And it was all okay.

-

“Say, QAWSED, are you aware that a penguin from Club Penguin is following your avatar?”

<How rude! That’s my daemon, yanno. Don’t be a bitch to my daemon.>

“My mistake. Wasn’t your daemon a Porygon yesterday, though?”

<Pfffffft. That’s the physical plane for ya. It ain’t my fault that all of ya having physical shapes, and the daemons stay stagnant. It’s boooooooring as fuck. No such restrictions in the digital plane.>

“Of course.”

Doubs couldn’t help smiling, listening to Hackey’s snickering. The digital nuisance was quite frankly one of a kind, even in the hectic Organization, and while he kept streaming through the digital plane, he seemed to find a kindred spirit in Doubs.

And someone receptive enough for his more sexual texts but that was neither here or there now was it?

-

There was a sting in his heart he felt when he got the news about Felix and Chané passing away. He did not go to the funeral, but he turned up in the cemetery a few weeks after, standing in front of the grave. Because of course they ended up in the same grave.

<Did ya love them?>

Silence, and Doubs could feel how Jareth glared at him.

“Once upon a time, a long time ago, maybe.”

<Wow. That was plenty stupid of ya.>

“I’m not going to deny that. Falling in love in general a futile thing, isn’t it? Especially falling in love with mortals.”

<True that. Good thing you aren’t making the same mistakes again are ya?>

“Exactly.”

_ “At least the first part”  _ Jareth murmured, and everyone else pretended not to hear.

-

<Sooo Mirald is a fun guy ain’t he?>

“Hm? Interested?”

<Of course I am! Whenever the Organization members talk ‘bout more troublesome members, sometimes he is before me in the lineup. Which obviously makes me interested. Also, you are still interested in him ain’t cha?>

“I’m not torn up over the fact that his interests lie elsewhere.”

<I ain’t implyin’ you are. But why ain’t ya havin’ fun anymore? If Dorrikey is the issue why ain’t ya sweepin’ him off his feet as well?>

“Why are you playing matchmaker to me here? Am I not enough for you?”

At Doubs’ mock offense, Hackey actually laughed out, and Doubs couldn’t help smiling as well.

<C’mon. Don’t tell me it wouldn’t be entertainin’.>

Oh, he knew he would be.

And there was a big Organization meeting, and Dorrikey was on the other side of the room, sitting on a couch alone, reading something on his phone.

_ “I think it’s rude to read in company, don’t you think?” _

Jareth piped up, and Doubs just grinned, crossing the room, and throwing himself down next to Dorrikey.

“Bored?”

Because Doubs certainly was, after all.

It really didn’t take long to make Dorrikey blush furiously, and Doubs’ fingers just reached under his chin, turning his face towards him, when Mirald crashed down to the other side of Dorrikey.

**(Really, if that’s all you wanted, you could have just asked.)**

Doubs smirked before kissing Dorrikey, while Mirald pressed a kiss to the detective’s neck.

**(Why? You figured it out either way, didn’t you?)**

-

_ “Please tell me you are not going to run off again, because I am so done with your bullshit.” _

Jareth was complaining as soon as they were out on the street, and Doubs smiled, and just raised a phone.

“If I’d want to run off, I’d get rid of my phone. No, I simply have some things to take care off. Besides, sometimes the domesticity can get really suffocating, you know? Sometimes we all need some time off.”

_ “Ah. Like Mirald does with Dorrikey. Now all four of you are doing the same around each other, like a fucked up solar system.” _

“Solar system, you say? I wonder which one of us is the center?”

_ “Well, if we are going by which one of you is the most reliable and most stable, that’s Dorrikey. If we are going by which one of you pulled everyone else in, that might just be you. Or Mirald. Or it might just be Hackey, because he’s the one who can always reach either one of you.” _

“In other way, it’s all a matter of perspective, is it not? That was quite poetic of you, I must admit.”

_ “Or everything I said was a bunch of hogwash.” _

“As I said - just a matter of perspective.”

**Author's Note:**

> New daemons!
> 
> Doubs Hewley's daemon - Jareth, peacock  
> Chané Laforet's daemon - unnamed (yet), raven  
> Hackey Mouse's daemon - lmao
> 
> Dedicated to you, Immi, because literally all of these ships are your fault and I am in hell, save me.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
